‘Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments (1 John 5:1-2).”
Motivation is as important as obedience to truly please God. Doing right things for wrong reasons is – wrong! That’s why God sometimes rejected the prayers and worship of his people in Scripture.
Prayer is not wrong, and worship is not wrong, unless we are using them to try to bribe God to do what we selfishly desire. God’s heart cannot be bought by our good deeds. He is never indebted to us or managed by our merits.
God motivates us to do his will out of gratitude for his love and grace. True obedience is always a loving response to God’s grace rather than an attempt to buy him off. That’s why love for God is necessary to obey his commands.
The heart that truly comprehends the greatness of God’s grace loves him. Such love finds it source in Christ sacrificial provision for us and, then, compels us to live for him and walk in his ways. When we love God, we love those he loves and what he loves, making love for God the basis of all true obedience!
Prayer: Father, I’m grateful you enabled me to love you through Jesus’ love. Now help me confirm that love by living in true obedience that comes from making my greatest motivation love for your purposes rather than for mine!